Existing technology for removing the skin of poultry includes the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,323 to Long in which a blade is used to remove skin, and possibly muscle, from a poultry product, which could include a thigh or breast. Technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,542 to Gasbarro revolutionized the removal of skin from poultry by using a pinch surface and a gripper wheel combination.
The pinch surface and gripper wheel combination of U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,542 to Gasbarro is shown in FIG. 1. A rotatably mounted gripper wheel 40 has a plurality of radially extending fins 88 adapted to engage the lower surface of a piece of poultry passing over the gripper wheel 40. In the orientation of FIG. 1, the gripper wheel rotates counter-clockwise. The arcuate pinch surface 47 is mounted in a closely spaced relationship to the arcuate path traveled by the tips of rotating fins 88 on the gripper wheel 40 and defines therein an opening for trapping the outer skin. The skin attached to the poultry is trapped between the arcuate pinch surface 47 and the outer end of the rotating gripper wheel 40 to entrap a portion of the skin and pull the skin from the poultry product.
A top span of the conveyor 50 conveys poultry pieces from the right to the left in the configuration of FIG. 1. The poultry pieces are transported over a gap 30 between the conveyor and the gripper wheel 40 by an upper conveyor 45, which may use “sticker chain” to grip the poultry piece. The poultry piece is then supported by the gripper wheel's fins 88, wherein the skin sags into the gaps between the fins 88. When the poultry piece reaches the pinch surface 47, the skin is pinched between the fins 88 and the pinch surface 47. And as the gripper wheel 40 continues rotating, the skin is gripped and pulled away from the poultry piece as the poultry piece is transported past the gripper wheel 40.
Further refinements of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,542 technology are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,187,060 and 9,730,461, both to Gasbarro and U.S. Pat. No. 9,999,234 to Diab. All of the foregoing patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The prior art is a complex assortment of components that can be difficult to clean, modify, repair and maintain. Therefore, the need exists for improvements.